Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, cinnamon, chile, and bourbon aromas. Taste is much the same with cinnamon and cocoa flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness and chile heat on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with great bourbon barrel aromas and flavors but the apple brandy version is my favorite between the two treatments.

A - Pours pitch black with a small one finger tall tan head, dissipating down to a light film, leaving small patches of lace down the sides of the glass.

S - Smells of vanilla, milk chocolate, coconut, cinnamon, oak, bit of peppery spice, dark roasted malts and some smooth whiskey warmth. Everything is there, it just took a little while to get going.

T - Starts off with a beautiful mix of chocolate, vanilla and caramel sweetness combining with some peppery heat and warming whiskey to make an awesome flavor profile. Finish is a mix of roast, light sweetness and some booze burn, lingering long after the finish.

M - Heavy body with moderate carbonation. Smooth, sticky feel from start to finish. A bit of burn from the chillies and booze keep me coming back for more.

O - I prefer this one to the Wine barrel, and I haven't had the pleasure of trying the Brandy yet. The whiskey is well integrated and doesn't overpower the other key base flavors. One of the better beers I have had in recent memory. Can't wait to try that Brandy version.

Big thanks to Josh for sending these my way. From a bomber into a snifter, the brew appears black in color with a brown head. The cap holds with just a thin film across the top and spotty lace on the glass.

The smell has the familiar alcohol tang found not only in the other mexican cake varieities but also a bit of the underlying JD whiskey note. Suggestions of bitter baker's cocoa blend to more of a sweet milk chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon with earth and oak coming more out in the back.

The flavor has that tangy booze element but instead of just comin from the base, it is augmented by the whiskey. A sweetness of burnt sugar also comes out of the barrel with a flavor of caramel, vanilla and molasses. Some oak flavor bring out a slight cinnamon spice and warming pepper and earthen aspects.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is smooth, chewy and fuller and silky in the feel. Very nice integration of the base beer character and barrel presence. A very enticing brew overall and perhaps the best example of brew I have ever drank (that im aware of) that was aged in a JD barrel.

A - They all looked kind of the same. Tan foam that settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and specks of lacing. All are very dark brown, revealing coloration when held to the light.

S - Nate says Almond Joy, and that's a pretty accurate assertion. Loads of coconut and vanilla from the barrel, with some fruity whiskey, oak, and perhaps a whiff of alcohol. Base beer imparts notes of chocolate and light cinnamon. Barrel is quite assertive here, but it presents a lot better than a number of other Jack Daniel's brews I've had.

T - The taste is quite excellent, with a blend of caramel, milk chocolate, coconut, vanilla, and mild chile flavor and spiciness. Booze and whiskey recede a bit, making it quite enjoyable to sip on.

M - Smooth, medium body that seems a bit lighter than the Red Wine version, Pleasant carbonation, with light residual stickiness. Not overly oaky, which is a surprise considering the intensity of the barrel-aging.

D - This was really excellent. I'm always wary of Jack Daniel's barrel-aged offerings but this was a winner. Hopefully Westbrook makes more of these beers; they've got some serious kill.

Pour is black with brown edges. Nose is sweet, dark malt, berry sweetness, a hint of roast. Taste has more sweetness, a good bit of burning whiskey, strong hot spice in the finish. Malts are rich and big, body is full with strong carb. Overly sweet on the finish. Heat is strong as well from the spice on the finish.

Three bottle set most generously sent by cparles in a recent box. Thanks for these man. They were top class!

From a bomber into a snifter
Bottled 6 June 2013
Drank the red wine first, then this, and finally the apple brandy.
This one says "bourbon" on the label, though JD is a technically a whisky.

APPEARANCE: Pours out black and yields a two finger, medium looking, fizzy, dark tan head with good retention. Black body with higher levels of carbonation evident for the style. A thick ring with touches of wisp remain until the end of the glass leaving some sticky dots of lacing down the sides of the glass. These all basically look the same, but this one was not as loud and fizzy as the Red Wine variant.

SMELL: Nice here too. Whisky, oak, caramel and toffee with vanilla notes on the nose. Dark chocolate, cinnamon and light notes of chilies as well. Some oak and coconut from the barrels as well. Bold and wonderful, tough not quite as mind blowing as the red wine.

TASTE: Oak, caramel and toffee with some whisky barrel up front. Vanilla and cinnamon though the middle with a bit of a chili burn at the swallow. Milder but lingering finish of sweet coconut, whisky, oak, vanilla sweetness, spicy cinnamon and bitter dark chocolate as well. All the elements are there, bold and well balanced, with a bit of a chili burn lingering as well. Great stuff.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. A touch lighter than the red wine variant, but still very creamy on the palate, goes down smooth with a chili bite at the swallow and finishes sticky. Some chili heat lingers.

OVERALL: Another wonderful beer. They're all a bit too chili heavy for me, but who am I? Equally good as the others, though the nose is perhaps not quite as boggling. That is a minor issue, however, as this is still in the top 5% of imperial stouts out there, as is this entire series for that matter. While I put the red wine variant first, it's a toss up between this and the apple brandy. I would jump at the chance to drink any of these again. Thanks again cparles. Phenomenal.

The apperance is dark brown with a thin layer of tan head. Aroma is chocolate forward with heavy vanilla followed by cinnamon and chili. The jd barrels add a nice vanilla characteristic and add a bit of smoothness to the beer. Taste is chocolate and cinnamon with pepper and vanilla in the background. Everything melds together quite nicely and makes for a smooth finish. Mouthfeel is thick and moderately carbonated. Overall, this beer is delicious!

Really rich mouthfeel. Big spice notes including chili and cinnamon are still there. There's a light booze on the nose and on the front end. Some vanilla hints from the barrel. Just really rich. Tastes like mexican chocolate cake. The JD adds something to this beer and tames the spice a bit for me. Well done.

A- Pours a pitch black with a slight mocha head that recedes a decent rate. Appears fairly similar to regular Mexican Cake.

S- Dark chocolate, light chili presence, integrated bourbon that is definitely on the subtle side letting the base beer shine but adding an extra sweetness. Not overly aromatic but pleasant smelling and very well balanced.

T- Balanced bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, balanced chili peppers that add a subtle heat presence but aren't overpowering and integrate well with the barrel. Overall the base beer integrates with a nice bourbon presence that adds a little bit of bourbon sweetness without any flavors being too dominant.

M- Very smooth, almost no abv burn, chilies add just a subtle tingly feeling to the tongue but don't burn too much, nice carbonation.

O- JD BA Mexican Cake is a very well done variant of an already very good base beer. We tried it during our chili stout tasting that included a lot of other highly rated chili stouts included the other BA Mexican Cakes, Brandy Hunah, BA Abraxas, and Dark Lord de Muertes. JD Mexican Cake certainly held it's own, with the only beer that I definitely preferred over it being BA Abraxas. JD Mexican Cake is very similar to the other variants and just as well done, preference is just which barrel treatment you personally prefer. Definitely worth seeking out.

A: Pours a pitch black, completely opaque, with barely any browning on the edges when held to light. Just under 1 fingers width of dark mocha colored head dissipates down to a whispy film fairly quickly, and leaves a few patches of lacing.

S: Huge toasted coconut is the first aroma I get. This is followed up by a bourbon-y booze, some dark fruit almost venous-like notes, lots of cinnamon, oak, vanilla, and subtle dark chocolate. I dont get much pepper heat on the nose at all, but still amazingly complex and an incredible aroma. The biggest coconut aroma Ive ever gotten from a beer.

T: Initially the taste doesnt really follow the nose, in that there are big flavors of chocolate and roasted malt, neither of which were particularly strong in the aroma. Next I get dark fruits, and an almost sugary sweetness. Every once in a while the habanero heat smacks your palate with a nice burn. This one is really sweet, especially early on. But as I progress through the drink the habanero heat gradually builds and works to keep the sweetness in check. The barrel notes intensify as well, with a building oak and bourbon character. I dont really get the coconut flavors that I got in the aroma which is a disappointment, but still excellent.

M/D: Full bodied to the point of being somewhat chewy, very smooth, gives a whole body warming sensation, but is not hot going down. ABV is noticeable, but is integrated nicely with the beer. Drinkability is alright, but this one is a sipper for sure. A touch syrupy at times too.

O: Overall, an excellent Imperial Stout. Very complex, and enjoyable. I actually prefer the Red Wine variant to this one, as I think the wine barrel shines much more in that one than the bourbon barrel does in this one, but still this is an excellent beer.

Bottled 6/6/13 and aged 18 months before bottling so this bottle was aged about 36 months before consumption.
This is one of the best if not the best barrel aged stout I ever had.
A: Pitch black with a dark tan head
S: Vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, oak, bourbon, and a light pepper aroma.
M: Heavy bodied and slick, perfect
T: Starts off with some light cinnamon,ginger, vanilla, oak, as well as cocoa, roasted malt and some vanilla
Finishes with a subtle heat in the back of throat from the chili peppers but not overly spicy
Blown away 5/5

A - Dark as night here, almost completely opaque. Small dark tan foam head that recedes back into the glass. This one has some legs on it.

S - Smell is complex here, you can definitely smell the whiskey coming through on this followed by oak, vanilla, dark chocolate. You can definitely taste the base here as there is still head on the nose as well as notes of cinnamon. Good stuff

T - Starts off with a nice hit from the whiskey and oak as well as vanilla notes. Then come the chocolate carmelly notes. The finish is where the base shines, cinnamon and peppers all day. The heat lingers just long enough and leaves you satisfied.

M - Not quite as thick as I expected, but this is no reason to dock this beer. We'll say medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Creamy and goes down smooth.

O - This beat out Red Wine Cake, although where red wine lacks in tastes, makes up for it in it's complexity. I would definitely seek this out if you are willing to dish out the ammo. This is a fantastic beer and resides somewhere within my top 10 beer that I have had.

650ml bottle 10.5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in a wine glass.
Bottled: 6/6/2013
This beer served as dessert in the amazing tasting with jefeld. Thanks again man!

Appearance: The beer pours pitch black with a strong backlight only revealing a sliver of deep red along the edge of the glass. A standard pour yields a good sized dark tan coloured head that displays good retention, but only leaves a few small patches of lacing. Swirling the beer coats the glass in sticky yellow tinted alcohol legs.

Smell: Holy **** this smells amazing! A rich almondy vanilla cream character combines with toasted coconut and bitter-sweet dark chocolate and just leaps out of the bottle as soon as the cap is popped. How I’m not sure, but after a few minutes the nose gets even better with notes of caramel, loads of dusty cocoa, even more vanilla, a little whiskey and a fantastic mild pepper character (flavor and heat) becoming apparent. After some warming a little bit of alcohol appears as well as a smidgen of cinnamon.

Taste: As the nose suggested this is just fantastic. At the front of the mouth the flavor is quite sweet with notes of caramelized brown sugar, sweet chocolate and nutty vanilla cream. This follows into darker chocolate, bitter cocoa, some roast, a nice amount of whiskey and a delicious habanero flavor. The finish is lightly bitter and offers the perfect amount of pepper heat.

Mouthfeel: As with most beers this is somewhat over carbonated to start, but it settles down nicely after a short while. The body is great – full with a great stickiness.

Overall: I really wasn’t sure that JD barrels would make a good treatment, but my word it has transformed the base beer into something world class! I am going to have to get a hold of the other treatments as well as a few more bottles of this one.

A - nice dark coloration with a one inch tan head. Good but not great lacing.

S- great aroma of cocoa, peppers, cinnamon & brown sugar...don't get much bourbon

T-amazing...The balance on this beer is perfect. Every smell and flavor are all equal. The bourbon is very nice yet not overpowering. Get nice cinnamon, brown sugar, cocoa with a little vanilla. Then at the end you get the peppers.

M - mouthfeel is very nice with good carbonation.

O- This is only behind a couple of ba stouts for me. I can't wait to have it again.

S: I love DIPAs with a strong nose feel. This excites the nose in a completely different way! At first, you are hit with strong bourbon and toasted coconut. Vanilla, chocolate and oak are also present. This has so much going on here that I have to keep smelling this before it hits the mouth.

T: This is very sweet at first, almost syrupy, with lots of coconut, chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. A nice heat (more noticeable than the other 2 varients) complements the taste, leaving an even sweeter aftertaste.

M: Full-bodied to say the least!! This is very smooth and hides the ABV well at first (more noticeable when warmed). This is definitely a sipper!

O: Another outstanding and complex beer from Westbrook!! After having all 3 varients, I would rate them AB&gt; Red Wine&gt; Bourbon. You will not be disappointed by any of these beers.

Very smooth. The cinnamon was heavy which gave a great mouthful. Drinking it with the westbrook brewer only made it better. Coco On the end. Bourbon flavor comes through on the taste. &hhhjjjjhjjhhh ghkh F agjk gjjcdgjkvfhfgijjj g gedgjjjfgjj cfjjkh dry vbhjhcv gjkkjhcvbb ghjkk

A: Pours pitch black with a finger of head that quickly dissipates. Leaves thick brown laces of foam as it slowly runs down the side of the snifter between sips.

S: Sweet and spicy nose with strong vanilla notes and subtle hints of oak and bourbon.

T: Really sweet molasses up front followed swiftly by a small bit of bourbon. The habanero really shines through in this beer, leaving behind a noticeable pepper burn. This is definitely a complex beer, and it also has discernible vanilla and oak flavors.

M: Perfectly carbonated. Sweetness deceives the senses into thinking it's thicker than it is. The habanero is present enough to leave a noticeable burning sensation.

Overall: Westbrook has gone all out and created some truly amazing beers. It's complex and delicious, but falls slightly shorter of the apple brandy and cabernet variants. The sweetness and spiciness overpower the bourbon barrels, but it's still a phenomenal brew.

A: Poured into a snifter from a 22oz bottle. The head built up quite quickly and then dissipated with the same consistency that it built up with. The head resided a lot quicker than the regular Mexican cake and left nothing but black.

S- Smell was outstanding. Notes of roast, chocolate, some heat from the bourbon, some heat from the habanero peppers.

T- Notes of roast and chocolate quickly filled my mouth followed by notes of caramel, vanilla, sweet nuts like almonds and then were followed by some heat from the Jack Daniels with a nice throat burn at the end from the peppers.

M- Not the thickest brew I've had the pleasure of tasting, but definitely one of the best. It was thin bodied enough to coat the inside of my mouth with a little stickiness which was more than what I expected after the regular Mexican Cake.

O- Probably one of the top ten BA beers I've ever had. It is close to par with Cali Brandy Huna in my opinion from my own taste and I cannot wait to have the other two variants I am in possession of. If you can land this one, do it!